Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1887-02-03
WAS Ii MURDER +?
An English Railway Stoker's Ter.
rib,e Adventure.
chambers Journal. !

Was | justified in killing the man II
| was, am benefactor to some Of my
fellOw-creatures !; if | was not, am {
murderer. My readers shall have ar
opportunity of judging and hope their
judgment may be lenient. Some years
ago was well off, and received the ed
ucatIon and bringing-up of gentle
man but partly through my own folly
and partly through unfortunate specu
lations, gradually lost all my capital
and about two years ago l found my.
self penniless, and saw starvation grin.
ming at ne within measurable distance
Then | determined 20 attempt no long
er to keep up appearances, but to try
and earn bare existence in any walk
Of life that was open to me. After some
frultless efforts and good deal Of the
"hOpe deferred" which "maketh the
heart sick" | obtained, through the
kindness Of a gentleman connected
with the Great Junction railway, the
pOollIOII VI SlOhIl' uCNCl "do given
odrink, so that | was we'll enough
able to fGliill the lowly duties Of my po-
sltion. | am now a statiOn-mastcr /;
and it is during my few hours of leisure
that | prepare this plain narratiYe for
the decision of a discerning public.
1t is a great point for stoktr to be
on good terms with the engine.driyer,
and 1 generally found little trouble in
making friends with my nearest travel
ing companion.
On the day when l went through the
most dlSagree2ble experience of my
life, 1 was travelling from Padington to
Cowchester on the well-knoWn-to rail-
way employes-engine named pluto. !"
She is fine outstanding, bold sort of
engine, and when III good temper, does
her work right well. The engine-driver
on this occasion was a man named John
Morgan. had not often travelled with
him before, only two or three times,
and l never could get on comfortably
with him. He had been many years in
the cOmpany's service, and bore an eX-
cellent character for steadineSS, but
was considered rather taciturn. He
seemed to be always in the sulks, and
was, suppose, of a surly temper. Be-
fore we started, he hardly answered
any remark | addressed to him, and
seemed more surly than usual. Once
when l took up cloth to brighten one
of Pluto's taps, he called out TO me in a
savage tone LET her alone, can't
you LII make her travel. to-day with
out your bothering.n
made him no answer, as l did not
sec the good of having a quarrel in the
small space we were confined to. The
train was TO start at twelve noon, and
before that time NE on the engine were
all ready; but it was quarter past
twelve before we got the signal to
moye. There was such crowd Of peo-
pie of all classes on the platform that
room could hardly be found for them
in the train. However, at last the
head-quard gave us the signal, and
Morgan turned the handle, and we NOV
ed slowly and steadily out of the sta
tion. When we got well out into the
country Morgan turned to me and SAID
"More coal.n
Now, in my opinion, no more coal
was wanted, as there was quite enough
in the fire to keep up the usual speed
However, as "a .stoker, was only an
underling, and must obey reasonable
orders. SO | stocked as hidden, and
then curiously watched to see if the en-
gine driver would turn on full speed.
He did nothing of the sort but sat with
his back to the boiler and began to talk
to me quite affably. Amongst other
things, he said he was quite tired of
this perpetual travelling, and that he
meant TO look out for a wife with lit
tie money, and never set foot OH an en-
CINE again. There was nothing at this
Time peculiar in his manner, except
that he was more talkative than usual,
and would now and then turn half
round 10 the engine and call out j: Get
on, old girl, get on ~ We had before
us a run of an hour and half, and by
that time we were due at Blinton, big
junction, at which every train must
stop; SO We had plenty of time to talk.
About an hour after leaving Pading-
ton, Morgan stopped suddenly in the
middle of sentence and said: We'll, l
must get to work now." Then he open
ed the fire box door and called out to
me: More coal"
l eXpostulated with him, and pointed
out that we were going at high rate
of speed, and would not need more coal
before Blinton; but this seemed to eX-
cite him terribly. "Shove it in J" he
roared, with an oath !; "1'm going to
make her travel"
To pacify him. l took up shovelful,
and managed to upset good deal of it
before l reached the fire-box.
"You clumsy fool ~ he called out !;
''here, give it to me - and snatching
the shovel out of my hands, he cram
med on as much coal as he could get In.
was beginning to get alarmed and
looking out over the well-knoWn coun-
e. LII 4rnrnlnd that tourney